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November 29, 2012

U.S. Bans BP from New Government Contracts 
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The United States has banned oil giant BP from obtaining new federal
contracts and leases, citing its "lack of business integrity" during the
Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 people and caused the biggest
offshore oil spill in U.S. history. The action allows BP to keep its
current government leases. Meanwhile, three BP officials were arraigned
in federal court Wednesday on charges stemming from the disaster. Rig
supervisors Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine are facing manslaughter
charges for the deaths of workers after allegedly ignoring potentially
obvious signs of trouble. A former BP executive, David Rainey, was
charged with hiding information from Congress about the amount of oil
gushing from the well. All three remain free on bond. Wednesday’s ban
against BP came the same day the government auctioned off 20 million
acres in offshore oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, nearly all
of it for deepwater areas.

 

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